Is the New York Post really the best target for investigation, or should it be Fox?

NEW YORK POST UNDER SCRUTINY, CTD: Michael Massing feels that the offenses of the Post pale in comparison to those of Rupert Murdoch's other American powerhouse, the Fox News Channel.

Under Murdoch’s control, the Post has trafficked in the type of malicious, salacious tabloid journalism practiced by the now-defunct News of the World and the still-reeking Sun. The paper has delighted in breaking (and making) politicians, smearing enemies, and ridiculing many ordinary citizens. Its utter amorality was on recent display in its coverage of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn affair, when in a matter of days it abruptly pivoted on its front page from calling him a “perv” to labeling his accuser a “hooker” (for which she is now suing the paper).

Yet the sins of the Post are mild when compared with those of the real centerpiece of Murdoch’s American holdings, the Fox News Channel. Since being launched in 1996, Fox has had a profound and toxic effect on the press and politics in this country. With a daily prime-time viewership of around 2 million—more than that of CNN and MSNBC combined—it has become the Republican Party’s most powerful booster. “Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we are discovering we work for Fox,” David Frum, a former George W. Bush speechwriter, has observed. Fox has put several Republican presidential hopefuls on its payroll and allowed other candidates to fund-raise on its shows. After appearing on Sean Hannity’s program, for instance, 2010 senatorial candidate Sharron Angle boasted that that she had raised $40,000 before even leaving the studio.

On a completely different note,  I've been off blogging this evening thanks to very relaxing (and entertaining) company for dinner. Back to school, tomorrow, I'm afraid; two weeks is far too short, I must say. Although I'm not dreading it, I can't say I'm at all looking forward to it. However, it must be said that the establishment of some routine would be nice, given that the last two weeks have been somewhat lacking in that department. Anyhow, everyone needs a proper education – or is that schooling? Often it feels there's too big a distinction between the two – a distinciton Mark Twain would most certainly have us make.